If I manage to complete all my chores today, the last thing I imagine doing would be to get home and walk Whiskers around the block. Don't get me wrong, I love my dog, but being so tired after a long day takes away my motivation.
But I realised there are many poor souls like me who are unable to balance their work and their furry canines. This has surprisingly created a market for professional dog-walkers who I have been told are experts in their field.
But who are they?
They are a group of people (no gender alarm) who dedicate their time to walk your furry little joy around the block or to the nearby park and ensure they come home tired but happy. These specialized services come at a cost that can vary based on numerous factors, including the time of the day, the number of dogs, distance and others.
The surge in demand has given rise to numerous
on demand dog walking apps that help connect service seekers with professional dog walkers in and around their neighbourhood. Let's check some popular service providers to walk your pup:
- Wag
Based out of Los Angeles - the city of angels (now for dogs as well), Wag offers 24/7 on-demand access to professional dog walkers, groomers, boarding services, and sitters in your area. The dedicated iOS app will connect you with experienced dog-loving walkers in a short time. So, Whiskers will be walked every day.
- Rover
Rover is based out of Seattle and is currently considered one of the top dog walking, sitter and boarding service provider in the market. The app offers 24/7 support for users’ furry friends and provides verified dog walkers ensuring worry-free services. Rover claims to perform special background checks on each dog walker and sitter registered in their platform, and dog parents can browse through photos of each candidate's pets, homes and check their reviews.
- Swifto
The New York (Big-Apple) based company, Swifto’s services are similar to Wag where dog parents can find the right professional to attend to their furry kids walking needs. The app helps you track your dog through its GPS feature and also shares a photo once the walking service is complete.
How do these apps solve the problems of trust and boost engagement?
I know we jumped ahead, but this has been on everyone's mind. What makes these advanced platform help boost trust and bridge the gap between pup owners and dog walkers? Well, the secret recipe lies with the features offered by these specialized service providers. Let's look at some of them:
- Background checks for Dog Walkers
A dog walking app stands out from the rest when it offers dog lovers the much-needed peace of mind with regard to proper verification of dog caretakers and similarly earn the dog owners’ trust. The dog walking platforms ensure all proper checks have been done before listing dog walkers online. A dog walker profile includes:
* Personal information including his/her name, age, gender and photo. They can also log in via their social media to remove anonymity.
* Their address for dog owners to locate them.
* Their phone number for dog owners to contact.
* A section describing themselves or even video introductions about them.
* The price for their services.
* Their available time to walk the dogs or look after them. This helps dog owners plan accordingly.
- Timely updates
Dog owners expect prompt intimation from dog walkers in case of an emergency with regards to their pet. The app is expected to offer inbuilt notifications that update the owner on any updates that dog walker or the service providing app wishes to share. Let’s check some of the updates/information you can share with dog owners:
* Dog owners need to be updated with the dog walkers exact time of arrival to their house to take their dog out for a walk and similarly the time when they return back home.
* Live GPS tracking showcasing the Walker's and the dog’s location. This helps dog owners check the distance their pets have travelled.
* Dog walkers update owners with information such as pee/poo breaks and food/water breaks. These are the crucial checklist that dog owners expect to be met.
* Dog walkers share pictures of their furry pups to ensure the service is going smoothly and keep owners worry-free.
- Ratings and reviews
Dog owners should be able to provide feedback on dog walkers and rate their services. This mechanism ensures a safe platform where dog owners can go ahead and book the service they trust. The community feedback can happen in several forms including ratings, reviews, comments and votes. Dog walkers are expected to provide their reviews and ratings of their dog walking experience that secures trust in community feedback.
- In-app payment
To avoid cash payments and ensure the safety of the dog walking service, the platform should offer online payment services. These services prove handy for both dog owners and dog walkers. This feature also helps app companies take their fees/commissions with ease.
Can one start their own on-demand dog walking business?
Yes and No, sounds confusing? Let me explain. Yes, you can start your very own dog walking, sitting and boarding business, but No, it's not a cake-walk to develop it from scratch. Like Uber for your travelling needs, wouldn't it be awesome to have an
Uber for dog walking?
Well, believe me when I say, there is an
iOS app development company offering the same. They seem to have cracked the code on developing advanced user-friendly applications that help connect dog owners with verified professional dog walkers with just a few taps.
Apart from dog owners, their Uber for Dogwalkers offers a delicious piece of pie to pet walkers by offering all the amazing features to help them perform their services seamlessly. So, if you have made up your mind on developing an app for your dog walking business, you can directly consult the leading Dog Walking App developers in the market.
Let the happy barks begin!!!
